joining me on this session of paint this at the yarnell school of fine art, and hope to see you here again real soon. god bless.

>> live from berlin, this is the "journal" here on dw. >> our top stories this hour -- the horse meat scandal spreads to germany as france says one company may be to blame. >> an olympic athlete charged with murder after his girlfriend is shot dead -- found shot dead at his home. >> and mobilizing 1 billion people -. a french protesting company is in the spotlight after the horse meat scandal sweeping europe. the government in paris has accused a firm of knowingly selling horse meat as beef. the company denies that allegation. >> french authorities have been investigating the complex supply chains that ended with be processed meals being tainted

with horse meat. so far, the scandal has been treated as an issue of fraud rather than public health, but in britain, officials say a potentially dangerous horse drug might have entered the food chain. >> meanwhile, the scandal has reached germany, too. >> more german supermarkets have pulled products suspected of containing horse meat as the scandal spreads throughout germany. it is still unclear who is responsible. the supply chain stretches across your -- your representative. a luxembourg company ordered beef from a french firm, which passed the order to a trading firm in cyprus. the company subcontracted to a dutch firm. the french media has uncovered what they called troublesome bills of sale. the british environment secretary said the problem was not simply one of public health.

>> i think what we got involved in this horse issue is criminal activity which appears to cross borders. that is an entirely separate matter. >> the european commission has announced plans to institute brandon dna testing of beef products starting in march. in addition, authorities are testing the product across the continent for the equine painkiller, though they say eating horse meat containing it should be little threat to human health. our correspondent, joining us from our parliamentary to you. we have politicians across is that going to be enough to clear this up? th>> these tests should certainy go some way in making consumers feel more confident about the meat products they are buying throughout the european union. ironically, two weeks ago, the british food safety association

started testing for chemicals in horse meat sparked by this mixup of beef and horse meat scandal and promptly found traces of chemicals, including those mentioned in the report, which was typically used in resources. this unearthed a completely different scandal, and at the same time showed that the effectiveness of tests is rather limited because that the tested positive and was then exported to france where it might have entered the human food chain. the city will make testing faster but also said that limits were increasingly seeing that it might be a case of europe-wide fraud, so it might soon not be a question of food safety but on how to tackle criminality. >> the question does remain -- how could it be on the most basic level that we do have one species ending up in a food product packaged as another? >> well, this is the big

question that europe or the european police agency has now been tasked with finding out. there certainly are facts that one should know. the european food market is highly competitive. all the products that were affected by this horse meat mixup -- typically no-frills brands. there is intense price pressure, and there are very long supply chains with potentially transparency getting lost every bit of the way. beat became safer, the food chain became more transparent, but now, we are faced with something altogether that supposedly very safe meat is being replaced with a very different type of meat. many questions remain unanswered. the european union will have another round of discussions on how to tackle this on friday. >> all right, well, the scandal certainly still seems to have some ways to run. thank you. >> to an entirely different

european regulatory matter now, the eu has unveiled the details of a financial transaction tax it hopes to introduce next year -- the goal, raising tens of billions of euros every year and curbing speculation that can cause of people in the financial markets. >> but it is a very controversial measure. so much so that even less than half the state's leading lady the tax. >> the new tax will apply to billions of transactions a year. 11 eurozone countries including germany hope to introduce the tax this year. the levy would amount to 0.1% on trades and bonds, stocks, and currencies. >> what we have proposed is technically sound and legally robust as a tax, a tax which will strengthen our market and tim burke irresponsible financial trading. >> the eu commission wants to make sure companies do not just do their trading somewhere else,

so the tax will apply if one of the parties is located in a participating country. opponents say that will not work. >> where a tax is suddenly imposed in 11 of the 27 eu countries, that creates pressure for companies to change their place of business. >> but the eu commission says the 11 participating countries are trail blazers. it believes other countries will soon follow suit. one reason is it will bring in up to 35 billion euros in additional revenue each year. >> the financial transaction tax has high symbolic value for the 11 participating euro countries. their goal is to make over trading less attractive and to share costs with those who caused the financial crisis, the

financial sector. >> the aftershocks of the financial crisis i definitely still with us. the latest data showed the eurozone economy sank deeper into recession at the end of last year. >> for the first time, it has hit germany hard. germany's economy contracted at its fastest pace since the worst days since the financial crisis. >> german exports are down, a sharper than expected drop in international demand for products made in germany caused europe's largest economy to get smaller in the final quarter of 2012. between october and december, germany's gross domestic product fell by 0.6%. italian and french gdp contracted by 0.9% and 0.3%, and the eurozone average was down by 0.36%, but leaders are optimistic the worst may be over. in a recent poll, 28,000 german firms said they expect the business climate to improve in 2013. >> those hopeful attitudes did not carry over into trading on

the markets this thursday. we have more from the frankfurt stock exchange. >> the gdp figures coming for germany and the euro areas soured the mood on the frankfurt floor, especially for germany. traders thought that companies would have started sound investment in the fourth quarter, which did not happen. shares have been dragged down, mainly because of the fact that the euro area is stuck in a recession, but nevertheless, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. leading indicators showed that the german economy may have bottomed out yet, and that also the euro area may be back to the road of success, although it will be a very bumpy ride. >> the markets by the numbers now -- the dax down a bit, over 1%, to 7631. euro stoxx down a bit less.

in new york, the dow is down just barely -- 13,975. the euro is trading against the dollar at $1.3339. >> now, billionaire investor warren buffett wants to dip into the catch of business. he is set to buy perhaps the world's most famous maker of ketchup. that is heinz. >> shares in heinz rose sharply on the news, gaining 20% by the end of the day. the pittsburgh-based company sells 650 million bottles of tomato catsup a year as well as producing many other food brands. there is another megadeal in the making -- american airlines and u.s. airways say they want to join forces in creating the biggest airline in the world in terms of passengers. >> that move comes just one year after american airlines filed for bankruptcy. analysts say the merger is likely to trigger more consolidation of airlines in the u.s. >> first, it has to get pass

congress, and a leading legislator has already asked if it could hurt consumers by cutting competition pam -- by cutting competition. >> the world largest airline could be created if a merger between u.s. airways and american airlines is approved. u.s. carriers dominate the global airline industry. in 2011, american airlines was in fourth place. u.s. airways in ninth. put together, the companies should have more passengers than delta, putting them in first. the supervisory boards say the deal must also be approved by the bankruptcy court that has been handling the restructuring of american airlines since late 2011. despite a mountain of debt, american airlines has done strong business in recent months, and creditors pledged to stand behind the merger. meanwhile, consumer protection groups warn reduced competition could result in higher prices for travelers. >> well, higher energy prices in

germany causing a controversy ahead of elections due to come up this september. angela merkel's government has presented plans to slow the rise. >> the plan involves limiting the surcharge consumers paid to support the expansion of renewable energy like wind and solar, but that could prove controversial. >> renewals like wind and solar now account for a quarter of the electricity produced in germany, but going green costs money. now the government plans to cap electricity costs both by cutting green energy subsidies and scrapping special allowances for industries that use large amounts of energy. >> we all know that price is not the only issue in germany's energy transition, but it is an important issue that has lots of people worried, so we have to give some answers. >> the government wants to keep prices stable by canceling a planned 2 billion euros increase

to a green energy subsidy paid by consumers, but first, they have to convince opposition parties to go along with it. >> we cannot allow them to put the brakes on expanding renewable energy. we want to meet the goals we have set for climate protection and germany's energy transition. we should make cuts where they make sense. >> both the government and the opposition hope to reach a consensus by late march. with a parliamentary election coming in september, no one wants to be held responsible for rising energy costs. >> he is known as one of the best sports personalities in the world and an inspiration to millions. now, he is under arrest for murder. >> the south african olympic and paralympic star oscar pistorius is accused of shooting and killing his girlfriend. >> one of south africa's biggest sports stars has been charged with murder. at his home in pretoria, he

allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend. police confirmed he was in custody and then he had undergone an medical examination. >> looking at things like skin under the fingernails, blood and alcohol samples. those are also standard medical tests. >> police denied reports that pistorius had mistaken his girlfriend for a burglar. they said there was a history of incidents in the home. >> obviously emotional, but he is fine. >> over the last 10 years, oscar pistorius has become one of the big names of world sport. the double amputee won a court case allowing him to compete against able-bodied athletes, and he is the first double amputee track athlete to have competed in the olympics.

>> absolutely shocking story, that one. we will see where it goes. now, onto a story of a cruise. >> passengers and crew on the carnival triumph have reportedly been struggling with failed plumbing and limited access to food since the engine room fire left the vessel without power on sunday. tugboats have been telling the ship back to the u.s., and they are expected to reach mobile, alabama, later today. carnival cruise lines, the operator of the ship, have promised financial compensation to the 3100 passengers on board. coming up in a minute, the latest from the berlin film festival, which is paying tribute to a great french film director. >> and we will look at a protest to end violence against women. to stay with us -- do stay with us.

>> welcome back.

it is valentine's day, which means couples around the world are giving each other romantic tokens of their love. an activist group called 1 billion rising wants to use that led to give valentine's day a bit more political heft. >> people in 150 countries around the world have joined protests to end violence against women and girls. the group invited women and their loved ones too much, to dance, and rise up in hopes of breaking the chain of violence. >> debbie andrews and her group have been practicing the dance routine for the flash mob for a long time. the event is important to debbie. she was attacked herself. >> it is something you have to deal with for years. i think i have learned to cope with it, and i want to give other women the courage to do the same period than the people all around the world joined in the event to show their support

for gender equality and express their anger and violence against women. the day had particular resonance in india where the gang rape and murder of a young medical student in december sparked national debate about misogynist violence. protesters were also out in the philippines capital calling for a stop to gender-based violence, which affects an estimated 1 billion women worldwide. >> women who reveal they have been subjected to violence cannot always count on getting a sympathetic response. often, they suffer further ostracism and stigmatization. >> for debbie and millions like her, the event is an important step toward changing attitudes. >> the french president is on his first state visit to india to discuss major trade agreements. he said negotiations were progressing on the multi-billion

euro jet fighter deal as well as the potential sale of french missiles. >> of the proposed projects include a power plant france is said to help build in india. hollande heads to france on friday. >> in germany, there's a new face in the cabinet. the new education minister was sworn in, replacing the former minister who resigned on monday after she was stripped of her doctorate over accusations of plagiarism. it is not the first time angela merkel has had to replace a minister who left under a cloud. >> chancellor angela merkel has lost a close political ally. on thursday, the president formally accepted the resignation of the education minister. she is so respected by many of her colleagues. >> through her dedication, science and research in germany have been strengthened. she was consistently an informed

and steadfast advocate of the sciences. >> back in 2009, angela merkel began her second term as chancellor. in the three years since, she has had to reshuffle his cabinet five times. the defense minister stepped down after an early plagiarism scandal cost him his doctorate. then a resignation after information surfaced he had tried to downplay civilian deaths in afghanistan. and merkel forced the resignation of the environment minister after he led conservatives to a major defeat. the new education minister has now been sworn in, and merkel is easy to put the latest scandal behind her. >> all right, well, time to leave the halls of government behind us and had across town to the berlin film festival. there are just three more days to go until we find out who will

win that coveted golden bear. >> one winner, though, is clear. and on rare golden bear for lifetime achievement in documentary film. and that a man of many talents, is a filmmaker, a writer, and intellectual. he lives in paris. he explained by winning the golden bear was a special honor for him. >> i am very proud. i have weathered many crises in my life. berlin is a city i love very much. >> as a child in france, he witnessed the rise of the not cease. as a young man, he joined the

resistance. he later met and existentialist writer with whom he had a romantic relationship. he is still the publisher of then magazine. his fifth -- his fame as a director came when he released an epic. as he took him 12 years to make the film. >> in a certain sense, time has to stop. it stopped in my case. for me, it never got going again. >> the documentary of the holocaust appeared in 1985 and last 9.5 hours. he refuses to use archival footage. instead, he follows survivors as they returned to the sites where

mass murders take place. hear, a man sings a song he was forced to sing as a boy to entertain officers. ♪ >> the director has continued to make films about the holocaust. he has just finished a documentary about a concentration camp. >> it is a very beautiful film, very strong. i say that because it is true. it is not vanity, despite what some in the still say. i am not vain at all. >> at the age of 87, he continues to work hard. over the years, he has developed a reputation for refusing to compromise, which is key to the appeal of his films. >> now to get the latest

festival was, we will go to our man on the scene. scott. the honorary golden bear going to a very political film maker. what does this tell us about the berlinale? >> it tells us that the berlinale is a very political festival and very proud to be a political festival. lanceman is above all a very political filmmaker. this film's typically show political statements and it definitely not entertainment, and they are not meant to be. instead, they are immoral to the suffering of the holocaust, a testament to the victims of the holocaust, and they stand as historical monuments. for that reason alone, he very much deserves this golden bear. >> what about this year's competition films? what political films are in the

competition for the golden bear? >> politics pervades every aspect. even hollywood films in competition have a political edge this year, films like "promised land," which is about fracking, oregon "side effects," which is about the abuses in the pharmaceutical industry. one film that has a chance of winning is "the nun," a french film, which is a diatribe against the catholic church," and the other is "a closed curtain," and iranian film, made in secret about house arrest, censorship, living in a dictatorship and the oppression of trying to survive in that situation. it is my ticket to win the top prize comes saturday. >> sounds like you've got it

covered. thanks for speaking, and i look forward to speaking with you again. >> finally, where would you go if you wanted to find europe's fastest supercomputer? researchers are testing the very limits of processor speed. >> they had just flipped the switch on a high-performance computer that can perform five had a flop -- i had to look it up -- that means five quadrillion operations per second. >> for information technology specialists, this supercomputer is a dream come true. it can achieve quadrillions of calculations per second. more than the equivalent of 100,000 personal computers running at once. it is six times faster than its predecessor but uses only 1/6 of the energy. despite its size and power, it is still love the world's fastest supercomputer. developers, however, say they aspire to be sustainable rather

than the world's no. 1 -- it is still not the world's fastest supercomputer. >> it is already being put to use in a new research undertaking -- the human brain project. this brings together some of europe's top scientists, including brain specialists, doctors, computer scientists, physicists, and mathematicians. they are trying to use the super computer to simulate the entire human brain from individual cells to large, complex areas of the brain. >> the project is expected to take 10 years. >> the human brain is extremely complex. there are 100 billion neurons, and about the same number of what are known as galena cells, which help the neurons function. we want to map the entire network correctly and then try

to understand how they work. today, not even the most powerful computers are up to this task. >> scientists are eager to analyze different sections of the brain, but just one simple yields more data than a single personal computer can process. the only way to create a model of the entire brain is to have a computer with gigantic amounts of memory. in the supercomputer has brought this vision a little closer. >> we are out of time. see you next time. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--